Five Questions With: Christian Cowan

CHRISTIAN COWAN is the director of Polaris MEP, a division of the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation funded by the National Institute of Standards & Technology. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
CHRISTIAN COWAN is the director of Polaris MEP, a division of the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation funded by the National Institute of Standards & Technology. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Christian Cowan is the director of Polaris MEP, a division of the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation funded by the National Institute of Standards & Technology. He talks about some of the initiatives underway to encourage the manufacturing sector in Rhode Island.

PBN: How would you describe the manufacturing sector in R.I. now? Does it have the potential to rebound?

COWAN: The R.I. manufacturing environment is a dynamic and growing ecosystem. There are fantastic companies using state-of-the-art technology to produce world-class products. Rhode Islanders would be very surprised and proud of the quality, diversity and volume of products that are produced every day in our state. We are looking to expose many of these unknown gems more in 2017. We are also seeing a groundswell of support and real effort on the workforce development side of things to equip the next generation of manufacturers.

PBN: Tell me about your upcoming event on March 23.

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COWAN: The Rhode Island Manufacturing B2B is designed to promote Rhode Island manufacturers to sell to other R.I. manufacturers. We are looking to build the supply chain in the state, and this event is the first of a series of efforts to drive better awareness and sales of Rhode Island-made products.

PBN: When will you announce the latest round of companies involved in the Manufacturing Innovation Challenge? Can you explain the process a bit, and how companies will benefit?

COWAN: We are in [the] process of awarding the next round of Manufacturing Innovation Challenge grants. The Department of Defense grant funds strategic assessments of manufacturing companies, which result in recommendations of projects for their growth. These recommendations are then funded by the grant to recognize the growth programs. We have fantastic programs currently executing in our first round. Some projects include 3-D printing for prototype development, automation systems for inventory optimization, and assistance breaking into new markets, a key goal of the DoD program. We still have openings for defense-related manufacturers in Rhode Island. They can apply at www.manufacturinginnovationchallenge.com.

PBN: How have local companies reacted to this challenge? How has the response been?

COWAN: Most of the companies participating in the MIC have matched the typical model of [a] small R.I. manufacturer, which has less than 50 employees. They have embraced the new perspective from our team of subject-matter experts, and many have already begun implementing the recommended growth programs.

PBN: When will the next All Access bus tour be held? Who usually attends these tours and why do you think they are beneficial? I know past tours have visited Edesia, Toray and VIBCO.

COWAN: We have gotten great feedback from the previous Polaris MEP bus tours and plan to run them again in 2017. The participants have benefited from gracious hosts like those mentioned in addition to Hope Global, Parmatech Proform, Spectrum Thermal Processing, VR Industries and WestRock. Employers learning best practices from other employers is powerful. The stories and connections made during these events are invaluable. We are looking to start them up again soon … as soon as the snow melts. Those interested in hosting a Polaris MEP bus tour to showcase their advanced manufacturing processes can contact via email at info@polarismep.org.

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